Xmas in the Europe

A volcano in south-central Alaska could erupt within days or weeks, authorities said.

''The level of seismic activity'' has ''increased markedly'' in recent days at Mount Redoubt, a 10,197-foot peak about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

''We don't have a crystal ball,'' said Peter Cervelli, a research geophysicist with the observatory. But ''we expect based on the past behavior of this volcano that this activity is going to culminate in an eruption.''

The activity has consisted ''of a combination of discrete, relatively small earthquakes and periods of more continuous volcanic tremor.'' The activity prompted the observatory to raise the alert level on Sunday, the observatory said.

The volcano last erupted nearly 20 years ago, in December 1989, and continued to April 1990. Geologists think there could be an eruption ''similar to or small than the one that occurred in 1989-90.''

The eruption nearly two decades ago spread ash in Kenai, about 50 miles west of the mountain, and in Anchorage. where it disrupted air traffic operations. Cervelli said the ash plumes caused engine failure on a a jet during that period.

''It's not the closest volcano to Anchorage,'' Cervelli said, but ''it has the potential to disrupt air traffic at Anchorage.''

The 1989-90 volcano also spurred volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that flowed east down the Drift River. The ash fall was seen as far away as Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border.

The observatory is aggressively monitoring the volcano. It has set up a Web camera near the summit of the mountain and and another within Cook Inlet.

It plans continued visual surveillance, and will continually measure gas output and analyze satellite and weather-radar data.
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Skiing in Austria
Austria is a very popular skiing location among English skiers, there is fantastic scenery, an excellent choice of skiing, traditional ski resorts and lively aprčs ski. In Austria there are perfect ski resorts for families eg.Soll, ski villages with excellent facilities for beginners eg. Ellmau, hundreds of kms of intermediate ski slopes and challenging skiing for expert skiers. Austria is a favourite country for skiing among the famous, especially favoured by the Royal Family.

Skiing holidays in Austria
There is something for every level of skier in Austria and plenty of ski resorts have activities for non skiers. The resort facilities and lift systems are generally very good; many resorts are linked with their neighbours opening up large areas of skiing eg the Zillertal ski area covers 430 kms of piste. Austria is also home to two of the best known ski resorts worldwide – St.Anton and Kitbuhel, both have fantastic skiing and great atmosphere on and off the piste. There are also small and quieter ski resorts offering excellent value for money eg. Finkenberg. There are many glaciers in Austria offering guaranteed skiing and a longer ski season eg. Kaprun.

Apres ski in Austria
In Austria the fun often starts in the mountain bars in the afternoon and carries on late into the night in the ski resorts. There are many traditional restaurants, international options and cheap, take away style cafes. There are several resorts in Austria with really lively nightlife that attract young skiers from all over Europe, schnapps being the local favourite aprčs ski drink.

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Starbucks has come out and announced that they are going to be removing any product that contains peanut butter due to the salmonella outbreak.

There has been a lot of fear among Americans lately in regards to the use of peanut butter in products.

This is due to the latest salmonella outbreak that has hit the U.S.

The outbreak, which began last September, has spread across the U.S. and has hit 43 states.

In total, around 500 people have fallen ill due to the salmonella bacteria, with 7 deaths being traced back to it.

The outbreak has been traced back to the Blakely, Georgia plant of the Peanut Corporation of America.

Starbucks has stated that their peanut butter supplier of not Peanut Corporation of America, but that they are not ready to take any chances.

For those of you wondering which products are being pulled, they include their granola bar, chocolate peanut butter oat bar, peanut butter cookie, and others.

The products have been taken off of store shelves as of last Tuesday.

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Women say the right words can mean the difference between going back to her place and going home alone. Here's what she wants to hear
By: Brittany Risher

Next time you're chatting up a woman, open with humor. It'll go over better than you may think.

Turns out men have a hard time knowing how women respond to different pickup lines. That's according to a recent study from the University of Edinburgh.

In particular, the study said men can't guess how well humor and sexual innuendo will go over with women.

Humor works. We're not talking Carrot Top prop-comedy. Think dry wit, like Noel Coward. And if you have to look him up, that's great -- you'll have something to talk about with her.

"The best pickup lines are the ones that are just so stupid you have to laugh, and that laughing will hopefully turn into an actual conversation," says Raechelle, 22, of Atlanta.

Sexual talk, on the other hand, doesn't work -- though many men continue to think so.

Here's a short summary, through the prism of Lisa Daily, a dating expert and author of Stop Getting Dumped! Being funny "gives" women something (a laugh), while sexual innuendo implies you want to "get" something from women (sex).

Here's how the study worked: Men and women were shown 40 situations in which a man tried to start a conversation with a woman. The men and women rated each situation on how likely they thought the woman would be to continue the interaction.

The lines that the men tried fell into four categories: sexual, humorous, complimentary, or something that indicated he was a "good mate" -- such as discussing a painting at an art gallery or asking a female jogger who tripped if she was okay.

Turns out that -- surprise, surprise -- men and women rated the scenarios differently.

Men overestimated how successful sexually explicit lines such as the candid, "Look, we get on pretty well, and I was just wondering if you want to have sex with me tonight?" would go over.

And men underestimated how positively women would react to comments that displayed positive traits like kindness, wealth, and honesty.

Women also gave higher ratings to humorous approaches ("Excuse me, I just noticed you noticing me and I just wanted to give you notice that I noticed you too. . . ") than men thought they would.

What Doesn't Work

Most sexual pickup lines don't work because they indicate you only want one thing -- and that's not what women are looking for, says Susan Rabin, director of schoolofflirting.com and author of 101 Ways to Flirt.

"Women don't like to be sex objects," she says. "Men are very visual, and they see sex when they see a woman. It may be on your mind, but keep it off your mouth."

Being overly confident that a woman wants to sleep with you is a turn-off, says Daily. "With most women, sexually explicit pickup lines have the opposite effect of what you're hoping for -- they repel women. Tone down the sex talk and you're likely to get more action.

"Women also tend to think that men who use these types of pickup lines have no depth. They're just a penis looking for a place to land," she says.

What Might Work

Sometimes a compliment is the best way to approach a woman. But not something cheesy, such as "Your eyes are blue, like the ocean. And baby, I'm lost at sea."

Be sincere and specific, and avoid commenting on physical attributes, Daily says. "Compliments work if they are honest, relatively unique to us, and not sexually charged. In other words, compliment her shoes, her wit, or her knowledge of kickboxing or the stock market. Not her fantastic lips or her fabulous body. Save those for when you know us better -- a lot better."

If you begin a conversation by complimenting a woman's appearance, she may think you're only out for one thing, says Caroline Tiger, author of How to Behave: Dating and Sex.

And don't go overboard.

"Calling us beautiful is not bad," says Trina, 26, of Syracuse, New York. "Calling us the most beautiful girl you have ever seen is terrible. We are not in denial. We check out other women. No matter how good a girl looks or thinks she looks, she knows that there are hotter, more beautiful chicks around. Don't lie to us!"

What Usually Works

Instead, be honest and be yourself.

"Sincerity is what really gets a girl's attention. Simple conversation is great," says Sara, 23, of Chicago.

Women in the study rated pickup lines in which the man revealed something about his character, personality, or interests higher than men thought they would. Using this approach gives the woman an idea of how you'll treat her if you start dating.

"In relationships, all women want a guy who cares about their well-being," Daily says. "If our first experience with him shows he is a nice, considerate guy, we don't feel like we have to keep our guard up around him. Which means it's easier for a guy to get to know us and progress the relationship.

"No woman ever wants to feel like she is simply a target for sex," Daily adds. "Most women want to be with a nice guy -- if you give us a glimpse of this in the beginning, you'll have us hooked.

"It's far more intriguing to discover the sexy side of a nice guy than it is to learn that the all-about-sex guy has a 'nice' side."

You can show off your "good mate" qualities by taking interest in whatever she's doing. In the study, asking a women at a bookstore about the paperback she was looking at and talking to a woman at an art museum about the painting she was admiring were both scored favorably by women.

This doesn't mean you have to start reading Shakespeare or studying Monet to attract a woman. In fact, namedropping in the wrong situation -- such as quoting Byron in a bar -- will most likely make you appear pompous instead of intellectual. (Quoting Noel Coward? Okay, a little pretentious, but at least amusing.)

However, you can use the "what are you reading?" strategy in places outside of the library. Just ask her a question or make a comment about whatever she's doing, whether it's the lecture you're attending or what she's drinking, Rabin says.

What Always Works

Don't underestimate the power of humor. Women in the study rated funny pickup lines more favorably than men did. Using the right kind of humor can be a great conversation starter.

"People want to be with somebody who makes them laugh," Tiger says. "It's easier for somebody to accept you or to continue the conversation when you initiate it with a laugh."

Rabin suggests saying something funny that's relevant to where you are and what you're doing. But avoid sarcasm because it can put people off.

A light joke also shows you put some thought into your approach.

"One reason the 'humorous pickup' is successful is because you are giving us something -- a laugh -- rather than trying to get something from us -- sex -- in the first few minutes you meet us. If you're trying to make us laugh, you're making an effort, which can be immensely appealing," Daily says.

She has one warning, though: "Don't try this approach if you're not funny. If you're not getting real laughs, or if you find yourself saying 'Get it?' even once, it's time to switch strategies. Remember: Funny is sexy. Not funny is annoying."

The Best Strategy: No Pickup Lines

What other approaches do women prefer?

"Conversation, conversation, conversation. It actually makes us girls think you are interested, so get good at acting interested. We like to talk," says Trina. "Let her hear you tell your friends you think she is hot. I am telling you, this works like a charm.

"Girls love to think that guys are talking about them. When they overhear you talking about them, it is a huge turn-on -- just don't make it too obvious."

Tiger also says approaching her friends first is a good idea. "You'll be less nervous about starting that conversation and may be more natural. And talk like she's a real person, not an object of your sex admiration."

If you're nervous or believe you're a less-than-stellar conversationalist, recruit a friend to help start the discussion -- and to make you look good, Tiger says.

Also watch her body language for clues to tell if she's interested in your or if she wishes you'd go away. Eye contact and turning her body toward you are good signs. Appearing distracted or angling herself toward her group of friends? Not so good.

"Do a little long-distance flirting first, to see if she might be interested. If she smiles, holds eye contact for more than 3 seconds, flips her hair, or exposes her neck, she probably has at least some interest," Daily says.

"Then move about half the distance between you and see if the flirting continues. If she looks longer or smiles more, make the move to approach her. Pay attention to her body language. If she's shutting you down, you might want to move on."

"A modest smile and acknowledging tilt of the head works for me," says Kathleen, 22, of Shillington, Pa. "If I reciprocate, a respectful approach and down-to-earth, fun conversation and flirting from there on out."

Of course, you can never guess what approach each woman prefers, but a smile is always good.

"If you're Brad Pitt, anything you say would work. But most average men have to be careful with what you say," Rabin says. "A smile is always a great approach. It's the universal flirting skill, and it diffuses negativity."


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China greeted the arrival Monday of the Year of the Ox with fireworks and celebrations, bidding farewell to a tumultuous 2008 marked by a massive earthquake, the Olympics, and a global economic crisis.

Colorful pyrotechnic displays lit up the midnight sky over Beijing, as firecrackers exploded deep into the early morning hours in the capital.

Officials reported that 46 people were injured from fireworks-related accidents, a 48 percent drop from the previous year, the official Xinhua News Agency said Monday. A fleet of 70 ambulances roamed the city overnight on the lookout for emergencies, it said.

The Lunar New Year is China's most important holiday. It is generally the time of the year for lavish spending on elaborate meals with friends and family and exchanges of "hong bao," or red envelopes stuffed with money.

But the country's economic outlook this year has been dampened by the deepening global financial crisis, with China's 2008 annual growth down to a seven-year low of 9 percent. Thousands of factories have closed in China's export-driven southeast and estimates of job losses exceed 2 million.

Communist leaders have worried publicly about rising tensions and possible unrest as laid-off workers stream back to their hometowns. They have promised to create new jobs and are pressing employers to avoid more layoffs.

Despite the gloomy economic forecast for the new year, merchants in the capital reported that fireworks sales were up 28 percent from the previous year, with some 230,000 firework packages sold by Sunday, Xinhua said.

In Hong Kong, tens of thousands also temporarily shrugged off worries about economic woes, filing into the annual Chinese New Year market at Victoria Park late Sunday. Shoppers wandered amid a traditionally eclectic mix of goods ranging from popular New Year's decorations like water lilies to inflatable oxen and furry ox-shaped caps. Small windmills — which symbolizes a change in fortune — were reportedly a big seller.

Meanwhile, another 20,000 visited the Taoist Wong Tai Sin Temple to light up incense sticks and pray for good luck after a year that saw Hong Kong slip into economic recession and left thousands of locals fretting over the fate of their investments in financial products linked to failed U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers.

The economic worries capped off a year that saw the country's leaders juggling one crisis after another, beginning with freak snow storms that paralyzed China's southern transportation system one year ago during Chinese New Year celebrations.

That was followed by deadly riots in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, which prompted a massive security crackdown.

The tone changed after the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan left almost 90,000 dead or missing, a disaster that was met with international aid and sympathy.

China's leaders received widespread praise overall for hosting the Beijing Olympics in August themselves, but just weeks afterwards came revelations of a national food safety scandal over tainted milk powder that left at least six babies dead and nearly 300,000 others ill.

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Kung Hei Fat Choi! (Happy New Year!)

The Chinese calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles and thus the new year falls on a different day of the Western solar calendar each year.

Year Ahead:
The OX year is a conservative year, one of traditions and values. This is not a year to be outrageous. A slow but steady year.

This OX year will bring stability and growth where patience and diligence pays off.

This is a year of Harvest - when we reap what we have sown. Take care of business this year, do not let things slide.
People Born in the Year of the OX:

Characteristics:
People Born in the Year of the OX are stable, strong, dutiful, reliable, tenacious, practical, industrious, determined, honest, loyal, sincere, persevering and down to earth and tolerant. They can sometimes be lonely but they form firm bonds with home and family. The OX people cherish their private lives and are not usually very adventurous. They can be loners. They know the way to succeed is by a slow, steady, sustained effort. OX people are great traditionalists, they like the familiar.

Click Here to find out what Animal sign you were born under.

2009 Horoscopes for Year of the OX

If you were born in the year of the RAT
This year is a stable year for family life and will be a joyful year. Career wise the rats will take on more responsibilities and will feel the pressure of the extra duties. A good year of steady progress.

If you were born in the year of the TIGER:
This is the year for keeping a low profile, tigers. Because of the slow pace of the OX year, it will be a frustrating time for you. You like things to be move quicker, you will need to show restraint.

If you were born in the year of the RABBIT:
The year of the OX is well suited to the rabbit nature. The slower pace of this year will see you spending more time with friends and family. A good year to upgrade your home, or for buying or selling a house.

If you were born in the year of the Dragon:
In business and in romance your word for this year is integrity. Keep your head down and you will make steady progress this year. Established relationships will be comfortable and easy during this year of the OX. A slow but sure progress will be made.

If you were born in the year of the SNAKE:
A very good year for Snakes! The steady pace of the OX year is well suited to the snake person. Act on an opportunity - this is your year.

If you were born in the year of the HORSE:
Although you are rearing to surge ahead, this is another year of caution for the horse. Not a good year to strike out in new directions, consolidate your positions instead. On the brighter side, Love will bring comfort this year.

If you were born in the year of the SHEEP:
The Ox is the direct opposite of the sheep, therefore expect challenges in all areas this year. Keep a low profile.

If you were born in the year of the MONKEY:
This is a year of moderate progress for monkeys. Work will slow down this year allowing the monkey more personal time. It also allows for quality time with friends and family.

If you were born in the year of the ROOSTER:
Great opportunities for rooster this year. A good time to recoup losses. You will make great progress at work, reaping rewards of your labor. Emotional ties bring joy. Your prestige and reputation increase.

If you were born in the year of the DOG:
A year for dogs to keep a low profile. Put more attention into matters at home, spending quality time with loved ones. The simple pleasures will bring happiness this year.

If you were born in the year of the PIG:
A year for the pig to follow his/her instinct, laying foundations for the future. This is a bright and hopeful year for the pig. Do not take unnecessary risks though.

Celebrating Chinese New Years.

The days before Chinese New Year’s are spent thoroughly cleaning and decorating the home (often with red banners, as red is considered especially auspicious), preparing special foods, getting a haircut and mending old clothes. Everything is meant to look fresh and new to set the tone of the coming year.

Red is said to be the luckiest color and most celebrants decorate their homes with red banners and dress in red for the celebrations.

Ideas for celebrating:
Host a Chinese potluck and invite your friends and family over to celebrate the Chinese New Year with you. Be sure to decorate your home with red!

If there is a large Chinese community in your town or city, check to see what will be going on. Often dragon dances, parades and other festivities are scheduled and open to the public. Check your local listings or contact the local Chinese cultural center or cultural association. The bright and open celebrations are not to be missed!

Red paper scrolls: Chun lian are special Chinese couplets, often written on red paper, which are hung outside the front door of houses and businesses. The sayings are meant to bring luck and fortune to the dwelling for the coming year. Check out the following pages to learn more about chun lian and how to write a common Chinese verses in the beautiful Chinese calligraphy.

Red Packets - Hongbao, or red packets filled with money, are given to children on Chinese New Year’s by parents, grandparents, friends and other relatives to symbolize luck and wealth. Making red packets is a fun family activity that is easy enough for even young kids and a couple of dollars put into each makes them a well-received gift. Check out the following page for directions on how to make them:

Paper Lanterns The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year’s) lasts for 15 days and is marked at the end of it by the lantern festival (Yunxiao). Celebrating the first full moon of the year, paper lanterns were traditionally carried into the streets for a community parade and were often accompanied by fabulous folk dances, including the dragon dance. Try making paper lanterns to hang around your home as part of your Chinese New Year’s celebrations. Directions can be found at

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With a full plate of issues to tackle from the U.S. economic crisis to wars abroad, President Obama had no time for dance lessons in preparation for his inaugural turn with wife Michelle at the nearly dozen scheduled inaugural celebrations on Tuesday. He expressed some tongue-in-cheek concern about it in an interview with USA Today last week.

"Michelle keeps on knocking my dancing in public in ways that have hurt my feelings, so I probably should practice just 'cause she'll tease me mercilessly if I step on her toes." In an interview with Univision days before the inauguration, Obama revealed his strategy for the first dance was just to keep it simple with a two-step, “you know, nothing fancy.” He has expressed on more than one occasion that first lady Michelle Obama is the best dancer in the family and she confirmed it last year during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show.

Luckily, the newly sworn-in president glided effortlessly through the couple’s first dance—a languid, romantic turn to the Etta James standard “At Last” sung by pop singer Beyoncé. Looking confident and relaxed (or, perhaps, just relieved), he gave the first lady a spin and stayed the course with his two-step plan which he then repeated at the next nine celebrations they were scheduled to attended. After a turn to the instrumental version of the song at the “Be the Change” Youth Ball held in the Washington Hilton, President Obama concluded the dance by telling the crowd, “That's what's called old school.”

The President and First Lady continued their swirl through the whirlwind of celebrations throughout the night, but kept an eye on the future challenges ahead. President Obama told the troops at the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, "Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow the work begins."

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LONDON (AFP) – Tottenham finally won their battle to wrest highly-rated Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios away from Wigan on Wednesday after the two clubs agreed a fee believed to be around 14 million pounds. Wigan had turned down a ten million pound offer earlier this month but manager Steve Bruce had been resigned to losing the 24-year-old in the event of Spurs coming back with a higher bid. Palacios followed Bruce from Birmingham to Wigan last year and has since enhanced his reputation with the Lancashire club establishing itself firmly in the top half of the Premier League table. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp believes Palacios will add a bit of extra steel to a midfield that has been overrun too easily, too often this season. "He will come in here and get after it and play aggressively," Redknapp said. "He will work and close and run. I feel that we need a bit of that around the place. "Palacios is a player I have liked since I first saw him, and he has the ability to go on to become a top, top player. "I just like the way he plays. He is an all-round modern midfielder - he gets after it, he is box-to-box. "I speak to people who have played against him, like Frank Lampard, and no-one has had an easy game against him. He is after you all the time." Redknapp would also like to bring in a striker after missing out on Craig Bellamy, who has joined Manchester City from West Ham, and has also been linked to Inter Milan centreback Marco Ma...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – While the Illinois Senate zeros in on Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a historic impeachment trial, other vital state issues are being shoved aside. There will be no discussion of how to fill the enormous budget deficit that is delaying payments to hospitals and pharmacies. No early start on next year's budget. No work on a huge public works program that would create jobs during the economic downturn. "Until we get this taken care of, it is very, very difficult to think that we're going to concentrate on revenue, spending, programs and all of that," said Republican state Sen. Dan Rutherford. Then, there are the problems created by the governor's legal difficulties. After Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on corruption charges that included scheming to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, the state's bond rating fell, costing it an extra $21 million in interest on a loan to pay overdue bills. But the trial, scheduled to get under way Jan. 26 and finish...

In a case of convenient timing, Opera Software's top developer happened to be in CNET's office just after Microsoft disclosed that the European Union has objected to Microsoft's bundling of a Web browser into Windows.

"We think it is right of the EU, for the sake of the consumers, to be concerned about someone potentially misusing their competitive power," Chief Development Officer Christen Krogh told CNET News. The EU action stems from a 2007 complaint by Opera.

Krogh said the Internet is too important for consumer choice to be limited. Developers of software and services, he remarked, shouldn't have to "attach them to something which is proprietary."

The fact that Microsoft's market share has dropped, he said, doesn't ensure that true choice will win out. "There has been more competition before," he said, referring to the Netscape and pre-Netscape days. "Fair competition does not necessarily prevail. We still think whenever a platform has a sufficiently high market share, it...

Barack Obama will issue an executive order within days of entering the White House to close the Guantanamo detention centre, senior advisers have confirmed.

Mr Obama, who is due to be inaugurated as US president on 20 January, has repeatedly promised to close the camp, where some 250 inmates remain.

The signing of the order is unlikely to be followed by immediate closure.

On Sunday, Mr Obama indicated that closing Guantanamo was a "challenge" and would take time.

"It is more difficult than I think a lot of people realise," Mr Obama told the ABC TV network.

"We're going to get it done, but part of the challenge that you have is that you have got a bunch of folks that have been detained, many of whom may be very dangerous, who have not been put on trial or have not gone through some adjudication."

These comments sparked questions as to whether Mr Obama would keep his campaign promise on Guantanamo, so his advisers are now letting it be known that he intends to act quick...

Last year Lisa Adams's New Year's resolution was to lose 40 pounds. This year her goal is to keep it off, and lose 10 more. “I feel more energetic. I'm not as tired. I'm a lot more confident about myself and my appearance and I can go out and enjoy everyday."

This type of attitude is keeping local gyms busy despite a sluggish economy. Both the Wilmington Athletic Club and Crest Fitness have the same amount of new memberships as they had at this time last year.

Sara Goodwin, the WAC program director, said, "We're doing really well; we still have a lot of people coming into join people realize that their health is really important to them so they're not letting the economy deter them from joining a fitness club."

Adams agrees, and that's why she makes sacrifices to afford her gym membership. "I used to eat out at least once a day and now I just stay home and I go to the grocery store and fix things at home to make sure I have a membership."

Despite good membership sales, area...